Dirty Dancing: In Concert to Debut on MSC Poesia for Alaska Season
MSC Cruises is bringing Dirty Dancing: In Concert to MSC Poesia for the line’s inaugural summer season in Alaska, expanding its entertainment partnership with Lionsgate to a third ship. The live-to-film concert will debut on seven-night sailings from Seattle starting May 11, 2026.
The 90-minute production is based on the 1987 film Dirty Dancing and blends cinema with live performance. The original movie plays on a large screen while a live band, singers and dancers perform the soundtrack in precise sync with the film. The result is part movie night, part concert, and part shared nostalgia experience.
For those unfamiliar with the format, Dirty Dancing: In Concert is not a stage musical and not a traditional tribute show. The film itself remains central, with live performers enhancing the music rather than retelling the story.
MSC said performances are scheduled throughout each cruise, including matinee showings on sea days.
A Different Kind of Entertainment
This style of entertainment falls into a niche category known as live-to-film. In simple terms, it pairs a full film screening with live music performed in real time. On land, the format has grown popular through orchestral movie concerts and touring pop productions, but it remains rare at sea.
It can be tempting to compare the experience to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, another movie that thrives on audience energy. While both create a communal atmosphere, the similarity largely ends there. Rocky Horror screenings are driven by audience participation, call-backs and costumes. Dirty Dancing: In Concert is a tightly choreographed professional production. Audience interaction encouraged but not required. The focus stays firmly on the live music and the film’s soundtrack.
MSC Cruises is currently the only major cruise line offering a recurring live-to-film concert as part of its core entertainment lineup. Dirty Dancing: In Concert first debuted at sea aboard MSC World America in April 2025 as part of the ship’s launch entertainment. It later expanded to MSC Virtuosa in July 2025 for the ship’s European summer season and continued into her Caribbean deployment.
Built in 2008, MSC Poesia is a Musica-class ship that once served as the flagship of MSC Cruises. Measuring just over 92,000 gross tons, the ship can accommodate more than 2,500 passengers. MSC Poesia spans 16 decks and features more than 1,200 staterooms. Ahead of her 2026 Alaska deployment, the ship is undergoing an extensive refurbishment starting next month in Malta.
